The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-08-08
THE HOMESTEAD ACT.

| We are likely soon to find ourselves
Gin accord" with Ministers, seeing that
the latter manifest a willing disposition
! to act upon suggestions and advice OF
the ADVERTISER. The prompt response
of Minister ThuroInn to our invitation
to make trial OF the Homestead Law
is creditable TO him, and displays a re-
| serve of common sense which may ulti-
mately be Of benefit to the country. It
is unfortunate, however, that the Gov
eminent organ should have detraCted
somewhat from the merit of his action
in this matter by attacking others I'M
Justly. The Minister OF the Interior is
simply acting upon applications filed in
the Land Office during the incumbency
of his predecessors, and he has stuck
at the preliminaries" point, just as
they did. He should find little difficulty,
however, in his way, seeing that the
work OF locating surveying and CLASH
Tying available Government lands was
done under Major Gulick's adminisrra-
ton of the Interior Department.
If the Government organ had en-
deavored to make itself familiar with
the facts, it would have referred to the
biennial report OF the Minister OF the
Interior, 1885, page 3, from which it
would have Termed that everything pos
sible had been done by the Government
up to that date to make the Homestead !
law operative. This law was passed in /
1884. 1t contemplated the disposal of /.
the remaining Government lands, suita- |
BILE for the purpose, in small holdings, /
TO actual settlers. Now, if the records /
had shown what land was available for /
the purpose it would have been the duty
of the Government to go ahead and put
the law in operation. Such was not the
case, however.
The information relating to Govern
ment land was scattered over the In
terror, Land and Survey offices, and
wholly without arrangement. A great
deal Of intelligent, patient and careful
labor was needed to collect, record and
index the information to be found in the
public offices, while a large amount OF
field work was also necessary to a COM
prehensive and correct knowledge OF
what lands remained to the Govern
ment. Mr.. J. f. Brown was detailed to
this special work, and he has placed Oh
file an admirable report, indexed record
and detailed classification OF lands. This
8 a base OF operations for the Minister
II the Interior under the Homestead
Act, and without it there would be no
safety whatever in setting the colonizing
sections of this law in motion. Profess
,Or Alexander, Surveyor General, saws
n his report that complete and accu-
ate account of all the Government {
ands cannot be made until the surveys t
low in progress are completed. Enough ;
las been done, however, for a starting {
'oint. The summary of Government
lnds classified by Mr.. J F. Brown is
5 follows: Total acres, 285 POS; OF
which there are-arable, cane. etc. J
OBS; grazing, 81 ,557; barren, 37.I65 l
cres. 2
We go into these details for the sake I
fair play. Mr.. J. F. Browns report v
as completed, under pressure, in time
n the Legislature, which continued in
ession up to October, 1886. There was ?
o leisure to do anything during the 7
,ssion, aud even if there had been s,
lere were two changes Of Ministry. St
fter the propagation, Minister Aholo i
light have attempted to bring the law d
to operation, but on the whole we
link the country is to be congratulated
at he did not make the at t.
mpt. Mr.. Thurston will do
5 best to make 1t a sucGess We sin l
rely hope he may succeed, bus we are
III of the opinion that the machinery 81
Gated by the Act Will hinder It's Ell
tive working.
/ 10 ..IVlrCtDIr, A JD,o,,.,y, s,,I Il;r.C+o---,3